Gun-Control Activists Resurrect Agenda

In recent years, America’s 80 million law-abiding firearm owners effectively countered certain political and legislative attempts to undermine and perhaps eviscerate the individual 2nd Amendment civil right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.

Acting through a number of national, state and local organizations, gun owners worked effectively to halt gun grabbers’ march toward restrictive firearm controls, managed to reverse some unreasonable gun control regulations, and even began to promote legislation supporting gun owners’ rights.

Gun owners worked successfully to prevent a reinstitution of a 10-year so-called “ban” on so-called “assault weapons”—in reality certain semiautomatic firearms used by large numbers of law-abiding gun owners, and to promote legislation prohibiting third party harassing lawsuits against the firearms industry.

Now, in an apparent attempt to lull gun owners into a false sense of political security, some media personnel allege that gun owner fundraising efforts are ludicrous. They imply that gun rights groups do not need to raise funds because there no longer is a threat to the rights of gun owners.

These writers obviously would like to drive a wedge between the organizations and their supporters, thus undercutting gun owners’ political strength.

But—we’re on to these characters. Gun owners just may not be as naïve as these characters think—and probably hope.

The latest issue of the New Republic, for instance, carries an article headlined, “Shooting Blanks,” with the subhead reading, “The NRA’s hunt for enemies.”

In that article, scribbler Conor Clarke writes sarcastically about NRA fundraising efforts as unnecessary and overkill.

Birnbaum, too, is sarcastic, writing that, “The NRA is on high alert, and its latest weapon is a pamphlet designed to send its members into fits of rage and to inspire them to open their wallets.”

Interestingly, both Clarke and Birnbaum cite spokesmen for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a leading gun grabber outfit, as supportive of their positions.

However, the New Republic and the Washington Post leave out of their double-barreled attack at least one important element. Gun owners’ concern regarding the gun control lobby’s long range threat to 2nd Amendment rights and the fact that gun owners act on that concern has enabled the “gun lobby” to become as successful as it has in recent years.

Gun rights spokesmen are aware of these attempts to weaken our defenses. In fact, Rep. Ron Paul (R.-Tex.), a stalwart supporter of 2nd Amendment rights for many years, wrote last November wrote that, “Gun control may have faded as a political issue, but the mentality that Washington knows best—and that certain constitutional rights are anachronisms—is alive and well. Look for gun control advocates to bide their time and look for new ways to resurrect the issue in 2008 and beyond.”

While the next two years possibly could turn out to be a period of reduced political and legislative activity on gun rights issues, there is no certainty that is the case. We know for sure that, whether it’s this year, next year or after the presidential election just 20 months from now, the purveyors of gun right denials are in our midst and sooner or later will be rearing their heads, and we’ll be ready for them.